Category Archives: Mavericks

I sort of made my bed this past week and now I have to lay in it. I picked the Mavs to beat the Thunder in seven games in the first round of the playoffs and it looks like I might’ve been completely out of my mind after the Mavs got embarrassed on Saturday in the worst playoff loss in franchise history.

The Mavericks hold a special place in my heart. Call me crazy, but every year I feel like they have a chance to do the impossible and win it all.

Coming into the playoffs I wouldn’t have given Dallas a chance against anyone. Especially against any of the top four teams in the West.

But, after that six-game winning streak to secure a playoff spot, I saw something in these Mavericks that I hadn’t seen all year… Heart.

The key component to finding that “heart”… was rookie forward Justin Anderson.

Justin Anderson aka Simba showed us all why he should be on the floor for long stretches of every game. His tenacity on the boards, his unmatched energy, and his passion for doing the little things is what helped these older guys find their heart.

But he was not allowed to do that last game as he didn’t receive any meaningful minutes in that disgusting game until it was too late.

When Chandler Parsons went out with his season-ending injury it was a blessing in disguise for Dallas. This allowed Justin Anderson to get minutes and allowed Dallas to see if they’d found something with their 1st round pick.

Parson’s injury has also allowed there to be more ball movement and better match-ups defensively because Parson’s was a ball-stopper on offense and Anderson is a much better defender. He just seemed to be a better fit for this Dallas team and I thought Rick Carlisle realized that.

But I was wrong.

Last game Dallas rolled out this starting lineup.

PG – D. Williams (Hurt)

G – J.J. Barea (hurt)

F – W. Matthews

F – D. Nowitzki

C – S. Mejri

How did Dallas expect to keep up with two of the top five players in the game today (Westbrook and Durant) with this lineup?

The Mavs zone was picked apart very early on and Oklahoma City won the game pretty much in the first quarter.

How The Mavs Can Shock The World:

For starters, here’s who should be the starters:

PG – R. Felton

SG – W. Matthews

SF – J. Anderson

PF – D. Nowitzki

C – Z. Pachulia

Deron Williams looks like he’ll be out with a sports hernia so Raymond Felton who has done a great job for the Mavs this year should be the obvious choice to start in his place.

J.J. Barea is out as well so instead of staying small the Mavs should get bigger. Start with Felton on Westbrook but in a couple of minutes put Matthews on Westbrook. Throwing different defenders at him may not stop him but with Westbrook you can only hope to slow him down.

Now on to the matchup of the game:

Justin Anderson vs. Kevin Durant

Obviously Durant is the superior player versus Anderson, but Anderson’s lack of court time is actually an advantage in this situation. He understands that Durant is one of the best players in the league but he’s so young and athletic that he will go all out on the defensive end and solely focus on slowing down Durant and he doesn’t have the mileage on his body to where he would tire out. He could hound Durant up and down the court the entire game. Now I don’t think he will neutralize Durant in any way but he is the Mavericks best bet at keeping Durant out of the paint.

Another big matchup to look out for is:

Zaza Pachulia vs. Enes Kanter

I have Zaza in my starting lineup tonight for the Mavs but I still think he will match-up with Kanter at some point in this game. Look for Dallas to try to keep Oklahoma City out of the paint this game as Dallas was out-rebounded 56-33 last game and they will look to make those numbers not so far apart. If Pachulia and the rest of the Mavs “big-men” can keep Oklahoma City off the glass then Dallas has a chance.

It’s a tough task but if the Mavs can somehow come out here and even up the series 1-1, then this may just be the formula to do it.

I’m trying my hardest to not overreact to one game but it’s easy to be optimistic about the Mavericks this season.

Dallas beat Phoenix by a very comfortable margin last night. The thing that made me the most optimistic about the season was that it wasn’t Dirk that was leading the charge offensively. It wasn’t Parsons (out with an injury). It wasn’t Matthews. It was Raymond Felton leading the way for the Mavs.

Felton ended the game with a team-high 18 pts and also added 6 assists. He had the full arsenal at work last night: from the pull-up game to the dribble drive. He hit a couple three pointers as well.

Fellow member of the backcourt Deron Williams looked good too in limited minutes. He had 12 pts and 7 assists but had to leave the game early due to a knee injury. It didn’t seem serious but the Mavs will keep an eye on him in the next couple of games.

Rick Carlisle’s teams have always been about team defense and scoring by committee. This season those two things are going to be essential for season-long success.

Felton may have had a good game last night but tonight I think another player will step up and lead the way. That’s just how the Mavs do.

PRESEASON WOES:

Going 0-for in the preseason concerned a lot of people. But if you ever had doubt that Rick would have these guys ready for the season then you haven’t been watching Mavs basketball recently. These guys will be competitive. Of course they won’t win every game but they will compete and keep most games close.

Coming up tonight is going to be a true test of what these Mavs are made of.

DeAndre Jor… I don’t even want to say that guys name and the Clippers are hosting the Mavs tonight @ 9:30 CT.

This will be the first time the Clippers center has played Dallas since spurning them in the offseason to return to L.A.

STARTING LINEUPS:

DAL:

PG – D. Williams (game-time decision)

SG – R. Felton

SF – W. Matthews

PF – D. Nowitzki

C – Z. Pachulia

*UPDATE* Deron Williams and Wes Matthews have been ruled out for the game tonight.

DALLAS — Lets jump this off by saying DeAndre Jordan is dead to me. *Update* (Don’t like the guy but that was kind of mean and reactive.) In one week he has gone from Dallas hero to the most hated man in the metroplex. If you missed how this whole situation unfolded, lets revisit Mr. Jordan’s most recent actions:

Jordan verbally commits to signing with the Dallas Mavericks last Saturday

On Monday Jordan calls Doc Rivers as he’s having second thoughts on signing with Dallas

On Wednesday the Clippers are invited for a final meeting to try and sway Jordan to stay

Jordan reneges on his previous agreement with Dallas and decides to stay in LA.

My thoughts exactly Mr. Jordan

What is Dallas supposed to do now? Why is this happening? Did Cuban piss off the basketball gods? Do the basketball gods hate Sharknado? No Way. Sharknado is awesome!

The hate from the basketball gods is indeed real though. It can all be back tracked to one simple decision the Mavs made in the summer of 2011.

Fresh off of a championship, the Dallas Mavericks decided not to bring back Tyson Chandler (the heart and soul of the team.) Then everything started to go downhill..

2011 – Mavs decide to not re-sign Tyson Chandler.

2011/2012 – The Lamar Odom saga began.. and then ended abruptly.

2012 – Deron Williams chose Brooklyn over Dallas

2012 – Jason Kidd pulled a “DeAndre Jordan” and went back on his original agreement and joined the Knicks

2012 – Darren Collison and OJ Mayo were signed as the “backcourt of the future”

2012 – Collison wasn’t working out so Carlisle brought in Mike James to be the starting PG

2013 – Dwight Howard chooses Houston over Dallas

2015 – Dallas trades for Rajon Rondo

2015 – DeAndre Jordan backs out of a verbal agreement with Dallas and returns to the Clippers

These chain of horrible events are all linked back to the 2011 decision. One theory is possibly other players in the NBA saw that Dallas is not loyal to its contributing players. You can do all you can possibly do on the court for the team and Dallas still won’t pay you afterwards unless your name is Nowitzki.

Since then Dallas is always chasing the big fish with nothing to show for it. Not one big-name free agent has signed with Dallas since they dried the powder in 2011. I’m not saying Dallas would still be competitive with the old guys that were on the 2011 team but maybe if they would’ve showed loyalty, then other free agents would be more likely to come here.

I feel the most sympathy for Dirk. He bought in on a plan that made him take way less than market value with a promise that the Mavericks would surround him with more talent. The Dallas Mavericks have failed him. With Dirk Nowitzki getting older by the day, it looks like it’s going to be a sad ending to a great career for the big German.

And people were upset with Kobe Bryant for getting his money. Kobe looks like a genius now.

The consensus is that the Mavs are in tank mode as of now. Unless they trade their newest acquisition (Matthews), Dirk, or Parsons, this team could still be decent. Possibly not a playoff team in the West but definitely not a lottery team.

If the Mavs fail to be in the top 7 of next years’ lottery then they will have to give the rights of their pick to the Boston Celtics via the Rajon Rondo trade.

But in the end, who cares. Pick or no pick this season will most likely be unwatchable for Mavs fans. Welcome spoiled Mavs fans back to the Reunion Arena days. When you go to a game for the experience, all the while knowing you’re probably going to lose.

Who knows, maybe Satnam Singh is a star in the making and will save the Mavericks from tank land.

The Dallas Mavericks picked Justin Anderson with their 21st pick in the first round of the draft. Let’s take a closer look at this young man:

Justin Anderson

College: Virginia

Position: Forward

Height: 6-6

Weight: 230

Wingspan: 6-11

Vertical: 43 in.

Stats: (Click to enlarge)

The consensus opinion on Anderson is that he’s a hard-worker, an improved shooter, and a good defender. He almost made my draft wish list but I didn’t feel he filled a role needed for the Mavs. But after being convinced by Mavericks’ staff and social media, I believe he can be a contributor on this team. He does a little bit of everything well and it’s been thrown around that he’s a Jae Crowder type of player. While he does a little bit of everything, he doesn’t really do any one thing extraordinarily well. The biggest concern I had for him was that since the Mavericks invested so much money in Chandler Parsons and all signs point to Al-Farouq Aminu returning, I didn’t see many minutes coming his way. But Anderson can play the 3-4 and possibly the 2. He plays very hard and is a Carlisle kind of guy. With his versatility and work ethic he’ll find some minutes. He has a wingspan of a much taller man and has an NBA body *pause*. He must continue to improve his 3 point shooting but this was a solid selection at 21.

Welcome ladies and gents to another blogging experience presented to you by yours truly.

Tonight is a special night for NBA fans. It’s Draft Night!!!!!!

The Dallas Mavericks hold the number 21 pick in this years draft. Here’s my wish list for who they should draft:

1.) R.J. Hunter –

Height: 6-6

Weight: 185

Position: SG

The sharpshooter from Georgia St. helped lead the Panthers on a remarkable run and upset Baylor in the NCAA tournament. R.J. Hunter tops my wish list because he’s what the Mavericks were lacking last season, a true wing shooter. Richard Jefferson (the other R.J.) was supposed to fill that role last season but he just didn’t have enough gas left in the tank at the end of the season. Hunter needs to bulk up a little but what college athlete doesn’t. He is also an underrated defender. He may not lock up an opponents best player but he can hold his own. This will be a great pick, unless the Mavericks already have an under the table deal with Danny Green. With that being said..

NBA Comparison: Danny Green/Possible Klay Thompson

2.) Tyus Jones –

Height: 6-1

Weight: 185

Position: PG

When you think of everything you want in your Point Guard, Tyus Jones is just that. He’s a true playmaker and knows how to get everyone involved. While doing so he still is capable of taking over a game and getting his own shot. Jones proved that on the biggest stage in the NCAA Championship game. The only knock on Jones is his size. If he can get bigger and improve his defense, he’ll definitely be a steal this late in the draft.

NBA Comparison: Kemba Walker

3.) Rondae Hollis-Jefferson –

Height: 6-7

Weight: 210

Position: SF

Hollis-Jefferson already has an NBA body. *Pause*. He has the athleticism and defensive ability and basketball I.Q. to be a contributor from Day 1 on any roster. His only question mark is his lack of his offensive ability. He can jump out the gym and in the paint he’s a monster but he lacks post moves and an outside shot. But at 21 you couldn’t go wrong drafting a lockdown defender with extreme athleticism.

NBA Comparison: Thaddeus Young

Other Players would definitely be worth taking but these are my Top 3.

The formula for winning in the playoffs is and always has been: steal one on the road and take care of business at home. So be at ease Mavs fans. All they need is one.

The Chandler Parsons Effect:

CP may not play tonight and is as of now a game-time decision. The Mavs played a major chunk of the end of the season without Parsons and did decently, but it’s clear the Mavs are a better team with their highest-paid player on the court. If Parsons can’t go, Richard Jefferson is most likely to get the starting spot at small forward.

Dirk Must Get More Shots:

Dirk Nowitzki went 10-14 from the field on Saturday but was 4th in shot attempts for the Mavs. Rondo, Parsons, and Ellis all had more shot attempts than the big German. The Mavericks are all about team basketball and given the games circumstances, anyone of these four could have the most shot attempts. But when Dirk has it going like he did, he needs even more shots. That’s on Dirk too. He’s sometimes too willing too pass. The double teams are coming from Houston but most times a Dirk shot over two defenders is better than a kick out pass to teammates. Quoted from Tim McMahon’s ESPN article Dirk had this to say:

“We’ve been doing a good job of spreading it around,” Nowitzki said. “Maybe I should have run to the block a couple more times, especially if they switch everything. I had [James] Harden on me a couple of times and obviously I’ve got to take advantage of those matchups.

“But I just feel like I don’t really want to force anything. I feel like we’re spreading the ball around, we’re shooting, we’re driving. That’s where we’re at our best, not when one guy goes one-on-one 30 times. That’s not how we play. That’s not how we’re really effective and efficient this season. I do got to pick my spots.”

You like stats?

Here are some stats of Game 1:

Mavs:

Cred: Espn.com

Rockets:

Cred: Espn.com

– The Mavs actually 14 more shot attempts and the FG%’s weren’t dang near the same.

– The Rockets shot 8 more three-pointers and hit 40% from beyond the arc

– The biggest difference and the story of the game were the FT’s. 17 attempts for Dallas and 45 for Houston. Let me write that again so it sets in. 17 attempts for Dallas and 45 for Houston.

Fouling was a major problem for Dallas but the Mavs lapses on defense were even more concerning. There were many times Terrance Jones had wide open layups and alley-oop finishes with no opposition. If Dallas wants to win they will have to tighten up defensively and stop fouling so much.

Prediction Time:

I co-signed my man Jeff “Skin” Wade when he said “Mavs in Five!” So i’m standing behind that prediction.